Networking for Change: The Panchayat Mahila Shakti Abhiyan

Thirty years after the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments came into effect, the position of elected women representatives (EWRs) in public affairs has been consolidated and further strengthened through enhanced quotas for representation in several states. Nevertheless, EWRs continue to face challenges in terms of fixed tenures, interference in their working by political parties and patriarchal forces and overall capacity constraints that limit the functioning of local bodies in general. While there are some variations in the legislative provisions for women’s representation in the Panchayats, cultural factors also play a role in the differing experiences of EWRs in different states. An attempt to bring together EWRs on a common platform to find solutions to the specific problems faced by them was made through a national programme, the Panchayat Mahila Shakti Abhiyan (PMSA). This paper examines some of the issues highlighted by EWRs during PMSA conferences held in different states during the period 2007–2012. It finds that, while EWRs advocated reforms to address certain specific gender-related challenges, they also linked their own efficacy to sustained empowerment of local bodies in terms of administrative and fiscal decentralisation. By giving a collective voice to the EWRs, the PMSA charters were able to focus attention on the overall functioning of the Panchayat system. The PMSA conferences forged a gender solidarity that transcended divisions of caste, class, religion and region. Though short-lived, the PMSA was a notable experiment in networking among EWRs for bringing about desired changes in the direction of a more supportive environment for EWRs and, in fact, all Panchayat members.